A Federal Emergency Management Agency worker who ordered workers to avoid homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Donald Trump has been fired, the agency’s head said Saturday.
“This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles of helping people regardless of political affiliation,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a statement. “This was reprehensible.”
The incident occurred in Lake Placid, Florida, when a supervisor from the disaster relief agency ordered his team to “avoid homes that advertise Trump” while they screened neighbors who could be taken advantage of. federal aid After Hurricane Milton, according to to the Daily Wire.
At least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags were vacated between late October and November because of the drive, the news outlet reported Friday.
Criswell said the incident involved a single employee of the agency’s more than 22,000 employees and referred the matter to the special counsel’s office for further investigation.
Read more: Milton’s worst damage came from the wind, not the water
“I want to be clear to all of my staff and the American people that this type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct,” Criswell said. “I will continue to do everything in my power to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
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